Striving for the perfect diet? The mediating role of perfectionism in the relationship between obsessive compulsive symptoms and traits of Orthorexia Nervosa

Authors: Greville-Harris, M., Vuillier, L., Goodall, S., Talbot, C.V., Walker, C. and Appleton, K.M.

Journal: Journal of Eating Disorders

Volume: 12

Issue: 1

eISSN: 2050-2974

DOI: 10.1186/s40337-024-01032-w

Abstract:

Background: Orthorexia Nervosa (ON) is a disordered eating style involving an unhealthy obsession with ‘healthy’ or ‘clean’ eating. Its aetiology is still poorly understood and is not yet recognised in diagnostic manuals. While ON has been associated with Obsessive Compulsive (OC) symptoms and perfectionism, no study to date has looked at the relationship between OC symptoms and ON tendencies via perfectionism, or the influence of two facets of perfectionism in this relationship, namely evaluative concern and achievement striving. Examining the potential role of perfectionism helps to understand the aetiology of ON as well as inform potential treatments tailored specifically for ON and comorbid OC symptoms. Methods: In this cross sectional study, we tested 507 participants (n = 70 males, n = 69 at risk of ON) on questionnaires measuring OC symptoms, perfectionism and ON symptoms. We ran two mediation analyses to look at the overall relationship between perfectionism and OC and ON symptoms (Model 1) as well as the specific contribution of evaluative concern and achievement striving in the relationship between OC and ON symptoms (Model 2). Results: We found that perfectionism partially mediated the relationship between OC and ON symptoms. Specifically, we found that while achievement striving and evaluative concern were associated with OC symptoms, only achievement striving was significantly associated with ON symptoms, mediating the relationship between OC and ON symptoms. Conclusions: This study highlighted the role of one key facet of perfectionism (achievement striving) in the aetiology of ON. The role of achievement striving was indicated as a transdiagnostic construct explaining the link between ON and OC symptoms. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for treatment models, specifically in terms of the potential role of targeting perfectionism in ON treatment.

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/40145/

Source: Scopus

Striving for the perfect diet? The mediating role of perfectionism in the relationship between obsessive compulsive symptoms and traits of Orthorexia Nervosa.

Authors: Greville-Harris, M., Vuillier, L., Goodall, S., Talbot, C.V., Walker, C. and Appleton, K.M.

Journal: J Eat Disord

Volume: 12

Issue: 1

Pages: 91

ISSN: 2050-2974

DOI: 10.1186/s40337-024-01032-w

Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Orthorexia Nervosa (ON) is a disordered eating style involving an unhealthy obsession with 'healthy' or 'clean' eating. Its aetiology is still poorly understood and is not yet recognised in diagnostic manuals. While ON has been associated with Obsessive Compulsive (OC) symptoms and perfectionism, no study to date has looked at the relationship between OC symptoms and ON tendencies via perfectionism, or the influence of two facets of perfectionism in this relationship, namely evaluative concern and achievement striving. Examining the potential role of perfectionism helps to understand the aetiology of ON as well as inform potential treatments tailored specifically for ON and comorbid OC symptoms. METHODS: In this cross sectional study, we tested 507 participants (n = 70 males, n = 69 at risk of ON) on questionnaires measuring OC symptoms, perfectionism and ON symptoms. We ran two mediation analyses to look at the overall relationship between perfectionism and OC and ON symptoms (Model 1) as well as the specific contribution of evaluative concern and achievement striving in the relationship between OC and ON symptoms (Model 2). RESULTS: We found that perfectionism partially mediated the relationship between OC and ON symptoms. Specifically, we found that while achievement striving and evaluative concern were associated with OC symptoms, only achievement striving was significantly associated with ON symptoms, mediating the relationship between OC and ON symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlighted the role of one key facet of perfectionism (achievement striving) in the aetiology of ON. The role of achievement striving was indicated as a transdiagnostic construct explaining the link between ON and OC symptoms. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for treatment models, specifically in terms of the potential role of targeting perfectionism in ON treatment.

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/40145/

Source: PubMed

Striving for the perfect diet? The mediating role of perfectionism in the relationship between obsessive compulsive symptoms and traits of Orthorexia Nervosa

Authors: Greville-Harris, M., Vuillier, L., Goodall, S., Talbot, C.V., Walker, C. and Appleton, K.M.

Journal: JOURNAL OF EATING DISORDERS

Volume: 12

Issue: 1

ISSN: 2050-2974

DOI: 10.1186/s40337-024-01032-w

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/40145/

Source: Web of Science (Lite)

Striving for the perfect diet? The mediating role of perfectionism in the relationship between obsessive compulsive symptoms and traits of Orthorexia Nervosa.

Authors: Greville-Harris, M., Vuillier, L., Goodall, S., Talbot, C.V., Walker, C. and Appleton, K.M.

Journal: Journal of eating disorders

Volume: 12

Issue: 1

Pages: 91

eISSN: 2050-2974

ISSN: 2050-2974

DOI: 10.1186/s40337-024-01032-w

Abstract:

Background

Orthorexia Nervosa (ON) is a disordered eating style involving an unhealthy obsession with 'healthy' or 'clean' eating. Its aetiology is still poorly understood and is not yet recognised in diagnostic manuals. While ON has been associated with Obsessive Compulsive (OC) symptoms and perfectionism, no study to date has looked at the relationship between OC symptoms and ON tendencies via perfectionism, or the influence of two facets of perfectionism in this relationship, namely evaluative concern and achievement striving. Examining the potential role of perfectionism helps to understand the aetiology of ON as well as inform potential treatments tailored specifically for ON and comorbid OC symptoms.

Methods

In this cross sectional study, we tested 507 participants (n = 70 males, n = 69 at risk of ON) on questionnaires measuring OC symptoms, perfectionism and ON symptoms. We ran two mediation analyses to look at the overall relationship between perfectionism and OC and ON symptoms (Model 1) as well as the specific contribution of evaluative concern and achievement striving in the relationship between OC and ON symptoms (Model 2).

Results

We found that perfectionism partially mediated the relationship between OC and ON symptoms. Specifically, we found that while achievement striving and evaluative concern were associated with OC symptoms, only achievement striving was significantly associated with ON symptoms, mediating the relationship between OC and ON symptoms.

Conclusions

This study highlighted the role of one key facet of perfectionism (achievement striving) in the aetiology of ON. The role of achievement striving was indicated as a transdiagnostic construct explaining the link between ON and OC symptoms. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for treatment models, specifically in terms of the potential role of targeting perfectionism in ON treatment.

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/40145/

Source: Europe PubMed Central

Striving for the perfect diet? The mediating role of perfectionism in the relationship between obsessive compulsive symptoms and traits of Orthorexia Nervosa

Authors: Greville-Harris, M., Vuillier, L., Goodall, S., Talbot, C.V., Walker, C. and Appleton, K.M.

Journal: Journal of Eating Disorders

Volume: 12

ISSN: 2050-2974

Abstract:

Background: Orthorexia Nervosa (ON) is a disordered eating style involving an unhealthy obsession with ‘healthy’ or ‘clean’ eating. Its aetiology is still poorly understood and is not yet recognised in diagnostic manuals. While ON has been associated with Obsessive Compulsive (OC) symptoms and perfectionism, no study to date has looked at the relationship between OC symptoms and ON tendencies via perfectionism, or the influence of two facets of perfectionism in this relationship, namely evaluative concern and achievement striving. Examining the potential role of perfectionism helps to understand the aetiology of ON as well as inform potential treatments tailored specifically for ON and comorbid OC symptoms. Methods: In this cross sectional study, we tested 507 participants (n = 70 males, n = 69 at risk of ON) on questionnaires measuring OC symptoms, perfectionism and ON symptoms. We ran two mediation analyses to look at the overall relationship between perfectionism and OC and ON symptoms (Model 1) as well as the specific contribution of evaluative concern and achievement striving in the relationship between OC and ON symptoms (Model 2). Results: We found that perfectionism partially mediated the relationship between OC and ON symptoms. Specifically, we found that while achievement striving and evaluative concern were associated with OC symptoms, only achievement striving was significantly associated with ON symptoms, mediating the relationship between OC and ON symptoms. Conclusions: This study highlighted the role of one key facet of perfectionism (achievement striving) in the aetiology of ON. The role of achievement striving was indicated as a transdiagnostic construct explaining the link between ON and OC symptoms. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for treatment models, specifically in terms of the potential role of targeting perfectionism in ON treatment.

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/40145/

Source: BURO EPrints